Articles by Patrick Nelson

Light Flow LED & Notifications for Android is available for US$2.49 in the Google Play Store.For years, manners have been defined and documented in easy-to-learn rules classed by geography and culture. For example, in some countries it's acceptable to make abundant noises when eating, whereas in others, eating is a matter to be taken with the utmo...

The WiFi network you have in your home distributes Internet bandwidth using radio signals It's the same technology that FM radio, smartphones and television rabbit-ears use -- and it's susceptible to the same kind of problems, like interference, penetration and range....

It's almost like we're going backwards. What with the escalating price-gouging by mobile networks for wireless data on the move, it still behooves us to use WiFi hotspots whenever possible. Who'd have thought we'd still be using public WiFi in this now 4G-enabled world? The answer, however, is that we are, like it or not, and most likely will be fo...

You likely already know the things you like to do, like watching a sporting event, as well as the things that you don't like to do, such as sitting in traffic We all experience feelings when participating in such activities, and those feelings form the basis of a personal body of knowledge that we draw on to know whether we like doing a thing or no...

Listening to radio on a smartphone or tablet via headset is one of the killer features of the mobile platform In this week's All Things Appy, we take a look at the must-have, free radio apps for Android, including ones for terrestrial and Internet-based radio aggregation, music, news and talk and public safety....

What are the three objects that you're most likely to grab as you leave the house today? They are likely to be your keys, your smartphone and your wallet, complete with cash and plastic bank cards. Well, if some forward-thinkers have their way, within a short time you'll just be grabbing the keys and phone only -- the plastic stays at home....

If you're like many, you're sprouting portable devices. Tablets, e-readers and phones are taking over our pockets and bags; add mobile games consoles and phoneless iPod touches for the kids, and that's a lot of Internet connections to maintain when out and about It's a gaggle of device connections that's hard to sustain because each one needs confi...

Voxer Pro Business is available for free in the Google Play store....

Summer may soon be winding down in many parts of the world, but the upcoming holiday season promises a whole new world of travel opportunities. In this week's All Things Appy column, we take a look at the must-have, free, travel-related apps for the Chrome browser Our app selection this week includes a service for finding unique or quirky accommoda...

A variety of factors can propel a Kickstarter project to funding success, but there's no denying that the sheer seductiveness of the product is a big one. Case in point: RAPIRO. What Is It?...

Watchdog Task Manager is available for US$3.49 in the Google Play store....

Zeebox is free in the Google Play store.If you read my columns regularly, you'll know that I'm a second-screen proponent.

It's no secret that Windows 8 has met with only a lukewarm reception, but life in the tech world moves quickly, and now Windows 8.1 is on the way. If you've installed Windows 8, it's worth downloading the recently released free preview version of Windows 8.1. By doing so, you will be able to take advantage of the updated OS's personalization and ...

TechNewsWorld's All Things Appy column regularly looks at the best free apps for our devices. Today we dissect the top five, must-have Windows 8 apps within the Lifestyle genre Need to check on the weather, monitor what those pesky celebrities are up to, wake up, control your games console or work out? Read on, then, for a look at our recommended, ...

One of the most fundamental keys to garnering interest in a democratically funded project is to propose something that people are going to seriously want. Wishy-washy concepts won't cut it -- it's got to be seductive The svelte Pebble smartwatch is a good example of this funding technique, and it raised millions on Kickstarter. The Ouya video game ...

Sleep as Android is US$2.99 in the Google Play store.Here's another app that takes personal analytics to the maximum.

Email has been around since before the Internet, but while the technology itself hasn't changed much since the 1970s, the volume of it has. Some people, in fact, receive hundreds of messages a day. That's a threat to a human's ability to process information. There are, however, ways to manage email. Here's how to go about it....

Despite the convenience of mobile devices, the desktop browser can offer the most satisfying video experience. This is partly due to the copious screen real-estate and processor power. In addition, however, Firefox has a long history of solid video-related add-ons including search, downloaders, replayers and bookmarking apps In today's All Things A...

Noinnion'sgReader Pro app for Android is US$4.99 in the Google Play store.Now that Google's wildly popular Google Reader has been switched off for good, what's everybody to do?...

Mobile carriers may be coming out with increasingly flexible options, but you could be surprised by how much money you can save by moving your wireless plan over to a no-contract Mobile Virtual Network Operator, called an "MVNO." It's particularly worth exploring the possibility of dropping your existing postpaid major carrier contract at renewal ...